


cut to the feeling

by their_dark_materials



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Aaron Dingle's 2018 birthday fix it, Birthday Presents, Canon Compliant, Eventual Fluff, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Only the briefest of mentions of Seb, Robron Reunion 2018, anti-Alex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 01:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13400748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/their_dark_materials/pseuds/their_dark_materials
Summary: He has that dream again. The one where it's exactly a year later and they're both in Vegas stood in front of a cheesy Elvis impersonator in a dimly lit chapel.Or, the one where Aaron spends his entire birthday in a mood and discovers that Robert's finally taken off his wedding ring.





	cut to the feeling

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'Cut To the Feeling' by Carly Rae Jepsen

He has that dream again. The one where it's exactly a year later and they're both in Vegas stood in front of a cheesy Elvis impersonator in a dimly lit chapel as he reads them their vows. Only this time the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll looks a lot like his on-the-run best mate, while his teenage sister (who _still_ refuses to wear a dress) is the one who slips him his ring, and the man beaming at him while answering, "I do" is his ex-husband — _not_ the fit doctor he’s currently seeing.

And somehow the craziest part of this whole scenario isn't that he knows it's a dream (because he _does_ ). It's that he knows and _still_ doesn't want to forget a single moment and how happy it all makes him.  
  
And of course because he's him, and his brain is what it is, he remembers every blistering, heated moment upon waking up; how they'd spent the rest of their night either joined at the hip or linked through their fingers, even at the slots where they’d each chosen adjacent machines unwilling to be apart from each other for even a minute; how he’d looked up from a game of Blackjack only to catch sight of Robert just staring at him and smiling his softest of smiles (the one that feels like beginnings of a sunrise, it's warmth sweeping over the recipient until they feel it in their toes); Robert whispering, "Goodnight Mr. Sugden" in his ear, voice heavy with sleep and his arm wrapped around Aaron’s waist as he lies pressed up against his side, his head on Aaron’s chest, while Aaron plays with his wedding band and whispers back, "Goodnight Mr. Dingle,” into the top of Robert’s head only to be greeted with an unceremonious snore.

He takes a shower to try and wash the remnants away. The last thing he needs on his birthday is to rub one out to memories of a dream of an ex — especially when he and said ex have made a pact to move on and be friends and nothing more. That being said, it's a far cry from where he'd imagined their lives being last year.  
  
**_You can't always get what you want..._** ** _  
_**  
Aaron jumps as he brushes by the shower radio and it bursts to life with strains of Mick Jagger, only to die a few seconds later with a well-timed, poetic convenience. He's half tempted to just toss it in the bin in a swell of annoyance, but Robert had installed it in here for him when they were first preparing to move in, knowing Aaron's fondness for shower listening — even if their musical tastes had never synced up. (Despite Robert’s numerous jokes otherwise, he actually does listen to all manner of pop, though Aaron has managed to introduce him to a few indie artists that are closer to his own sensibilities. Or as Robert puts it while cueing Ryan Adam’s cover of ‘Shake It Off’ for the billionth time, “Compromise.”)

Walking out of the ensuite, he notes with an inexplicable relief that the bed remains unmade. (Alex has a weird habit of making the bed first thing in the morning, which is a bit of an adjustment after a year of Robert insisting they leave it as is because they had "unfinished business." The innuendo had gotten old fast, but not the sentiment behind it. _Or_ the actions it caused.)  
  
Slipping on some pants he tries to steer his mind away from memories of Robert. He's been doing really well on that front since Christmas. Aside from the occasional relationship retrospective every now and then, his brain has been quite cooperative with his attempts to move on.

Only, as it unhelpfully reminds him as he throws on a striped grey shirt, today isn't just any day. It's his birthday. A day he would prefer pass with as little fuss as possible. But given what he'd overheard Alex say on the phone yesterday, that _won’t_ be the case. So he tamps down on his desire for a quiet dinner with his mother and Liv (and _maybe_ Gerry and Paddy) and heads out the door, bracing himself for whatever may be awaiting him at the foot of the stairs.

  
:::::

His morning starts out a _bit_ much but manages to get increasingly tolerable as it goes on.

First, there’s a gathering of almost all his immediate family (and Gerry) in his kitchen, complete with presents and cake and singing. It’s not _too_ far off from what he’d actually expected Alex to do, but it’s much, _much_ more restrained, which he appreciates _a lot_ — recurring dreams of his ex-husband aside.

(Just to make sure, he checks and his mum states that it’s just the people here, and feels a momentary stab of something like disappointment at that declaration.)

The cake Alex has purchased is some kind of birthday-cake-flavoured cheesecake confection which is fine, but a bit cold and not what Aaron would choose first thing in the morning. (Like most things in his life, his tastes run simple: chocolate, vanilla, and if he’s really, _really_ feeling adventurous, coffee.) But Alex is just _so_ excited and Aaron does like him — or at the very least, is trying to — and he doesn’t want to brush him off again, seeing how patient the man is when he gets moody (especially lately with all the stuff over Christmas, and more recently with Adam).

Then there’s Faith and Cain (and Isaac), who he runs into on his way to the scrapyard. Faith extends her arms wide, wrapping him in a hug while exclaiming, “Happy Birthday Love!” while Cain stands to the side with the stroller and gives him a nod later accompanied by a terse, “Happy Birthday” while Faith chirps, “From Isaac, too!”

“Thanks,” Aaron replies, smiling at his sleeping baby cousin.

“Got any fun plans?” Faith asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “Schedule a check-up with your hot doc?”

Feeling the blood instantly rush to his face, he mumbles something about an urgent appointment with a client, shoves his hands into his pants pockets and beats a hasty getaway. He knows she means well, but the only thing he wants to do less than discuss his sex life with his grandmother is discuss it with _Cain Dingle_ present.

The last familiar face he encounters that morning is Vic, who he runs into as she’s departing Keeper’s.

At first, he’s a little hesitant about whether to say anything, considering her outburst during their last encounter, but then he sees that she’s spotted him.

“Aaron! Hey, Aaron!” She calls, making her way over to him when he pauses in the street. “I got you somethin’…  Happy Birthday.”

She pushes her handbag strap up her shoulder, holding it there while reaching out with her other arm to hand him a paper gift bag.

“It’s not much, but I know Adam mentioned you two going on a lads camping trip at some point…” She swallows and continues. “It’s not the same thing, but he kept joking he might get you one of these.”

Aaron reaches in and fishes out what is a sleeping mask-safari-mask-blanket combo. The entire ridiculous thing is in camo print. He smiles and lets out a chuckle.

“At least this way I won’t have to see his ugly mug,” he jokes.

“Funny. That’s what he said about _you_ when he saw it,” Vic says, eyes twinkling. “Um. There’s also something in there from me.”

He reaches in and pulls out a second item: a framed photo of him and Adam from a few years ago when they’d both gone to France and attempted to go fishing. Looking at their younger faces he flashes back to that afternoon when they were both drenched in lake water and absolutely sloshed. He’d known Adam had attempted a selfie, but he hadn’t known that it had been successful and that there was proof of their misadventure lying about. He must have missed it the day he’d been assembling Adam’s travel bag.

Sensing his questions, Vic says, “We kept it in the bedroom. He was always tellin’ me about that day and the face you made when you fell into that lake. It was his favourite photo of the two of yas. Thought it was only right you get to keep it.”  

“Thanks Vic,” he croaks out, tears stinging his eye. “It means a lot.”

“Don’t thank me,” she mentions shyly. “Can’t be easy to celebrate your birthday with your best mate on the run.”

He nods and leans forward to hug her.

“Seriously,” he whispers into her ear. “Thank you.”

“This doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at ya,” she mumbles into his chest half-heartedly.

They move apart and shoot each other sad smiles.

“Comin’ to the pub today?” She asks, her tone brighter as she prepares to make her exit.

“Yeah.” Aaron answers. He’s not sure what Alex has planned for lunch, but he’s sure they can squeeze in a quick, _free_ drink at some point in the day.

“Great,” Vic gives his arm a squeeze. “See ya then!”

And with that, she walks away.  

As he turns back to head on his way, his eyes do a sweep of the cottage. Only this time he’s hit with a vague feeling of… _disappointment_. He pegs the emotion as a reaction to his missing Adam and continues on.

(Even though a small voice inside him suggests that _this_ is not the reason the box room window is what drew his lingering gaze.)   
 

:::::

Luckily, the rest of his morning is fairly lowkey.

Work hasn't piled up _too_ much. It’s just a matter of plowing through the paperwork and invoices — neither of which were Adam’s strong suit anyway.

But that isn’t the reason he can’t seem to focus.

No. The cause of this particular listlessness is that still recurring feeling of disappointment. Or rather, that he’s missing… _something_ . He’s not sure what he’s looking for, but he hadn’t expected to find the portacabin empty. At the _very least_ he’d expected to walk in on Jimmy taking his mid-morning nap, his bearlike snores rattling the entire structure they share.

Unable to shake it, he puts away the spreadsheets and numbers and grabs his neon vest and gloves and heads outside. Might as well channel his frustrated energies into something productive.

:::::

Lunch is a muted affair — and as a result, the best part of his day so far.

Alex calls him before noon asking if it's okay that they grab lunch in the pub. He says something about possibly having to go on call, but Aaron is just relieved. He’d assumed that Alex’d had something slightly fancy planned in Hotten, and hadn’t been feeling too up for it. But a couple of burgers and pints at the Woolie sounds perfect, which he lets the other man know.

When Aaron arrives there he finds Liv and Gerry and Alex waiting for him. He also spots Robert sitting at the bar sporting that puffy blue jacket he likes — the older man had bought it on a weekend trip to Wales when the temperature had suddenly dropped, Aaron daring him to purchase the thicker coat in the uncharacteristic colour (“What? It’ll bring out the blue in yer eyes.” “You’re just saying that so you can keep laughing at me.” “Well, it’s not like you’re going to _stay_ in it for long anyway…”) — and nursing a drink while _Paddy_ shuffles about serving customers, looking both stressed and confused.

But before he can say anything (or ask about his mother), Alex is standing up and greeting him with a kiss on the lips, his hands making their way to Aaron’s elbows. He feels a wave of discomfort pass over him at this minor display of public affection but smiles at the doctor anyway.

“Sorry about the table,” Alex begins apologetically. “Everything else was taken.”

“It’s no problem,” Aaron responds, manoeuvring around it to take a seat between him and Liv who is deep in conversation with Gerry. He’s not sure when it happened, but those two have become thick as thieves lately and while Aaron may not be fully on board with the teenage boy, he does like the idea of Liv having another friend in the village.  

As he makes his way to his seat, he swears he can feel Robert’s eyes on him. But when he looks up, the man’s busy taking a sip of his orange juice. Judging by the half-empty glass, he’s been here a while. (Probably not doing wonders for Paddy who is becoming increasingly flustered with each passing minute.)

A small part of him wills Robert to look at him because that’s what they’re always doing, aren’t they? Catching each other's eyes across a room and trading glances and smiles? (At least they have been recently.) Only now, he isn’t responding and Aaron is feeling irrationally annoyed by the whole thing. He tells himself that Robert’s probably dealing with something Seb-related and that it isn’t really his place anymore, but it doesn’t quite work.

“Got you a pint,” Alex interrupts, sliding over a glass.

Aaron glances at it, picks it up, and smiles at him. “Ta.”

He takes a sip as Gerry asks when they’re going to order — and is elbowed gently in the ribs by Liv for his efforts. Feeling charitable, Aaron expresses his own desire for food, at which point Marlon appears almost as if on cue.

Aaron states he wants a cheeseburger, as does Liv, but the taller Dingle insists on rattling off the specials, which Alex _then proceeds to actually inquire about._ A few minutes later the doctor settles on a quiche and salad duo, while Gerry, who announces he’s on some weird health kick, asks for the tomato soup… with a side of chips. Another quick jab from Liv results in him choosing a cheeseburger as well — much to Marlon’s enduring disappointment. (“Forget culinary school, maybe I should have just gone to _burger_ _making camp_.”)

Aaron cracks a smile, his gaze traveling to the bar where he sees Robert busy replying to a text. But it’s pulled away again when Alex asks him about his morning thus far.

As he answers the question, he feels a weird pang in his chest. Before he can investigate it further, Liv begins recounting a funny incident at school, cracking them all up with an impression of one of her teachers at school. Aaron _knows_ he shouldn’t laugh (thereby encouraging her), but it _is_ hilarious and he doesn’t quite like the man either, having had more than enough mildly-unpleasant parent-teacher conferences with him. (To be fair, even _Robert_ , who actually did well at the few he’d attended, had harboured a deep dislike of the man. “He _knows_ she’s been working hard, but the tosser _still_ has the gall to not round her marks up?”)

The food comes fast, and the conversation continues nice and light, causing any apprehensions he’d had about the meal to slowly vanish. (Except for that nagging feeling in his chest, but he’s since figured that has to do with his discomfort around birthdays, and not whatever he’s nervous that Alex has planned.)

When they finally finish, they sit there in companionable silence, Aaron savouring the feeling of a light buzz on a full stomach. That’s when he senses movement to his right and turns his head to see Alex holding out an envelope.

“This is your present,” he states.

“Thought I wasn’t getting it till later,” Aaron responds, thinking back to the suggestiveness of the doctor’s words this morning as he flips the envelope in his hands. There’s no clue as to what could be inside.  

“I know, but I wanted to give you something now,” Alex says, a bit of nerves creeping into his overall energy. “I mean, we still have Chinese later, and I thought we could watch… _Rocky Balboa_?”

“That’s my favourite film,” Aaron says surprised by the suggestion. He wasn’t sure it had ever come up — oddly enough they’ve _yet_ to discuss favourite films (or books or TV shows or music for that matter) — but he figures his mum and Paddy might have made a suggestion when they were over this morning. Heavens knows _they’ve_ each had to sit through enough _Rocky_ movie marathons over the last couple of years. _Balboa_ had been the first _Rocky_ film Aaron had ever seen and (predictably) he’d _loved_ it, prompting him and Adam (who’d eventually watched it with him when he’d returned from France) to have yearly movie marathons where they’d watch the whole series. In the last two years Robert had joined them (Vic had begged off claiming that sitting through all the _Transformers_ films was enough for her), with the older Sugden even surprising them with tickets to an anniversary marathon held at a small independent cinema in Hotten. He hadn’t been able to stay for _every_ film on account of some haulage business, but he’d made sure he’d made it back for this one in particular, settling into a seat next to Aaron’s mere minutes before it began. (“What are you doing here?” “Couldn’t miss your favourite film, could I?” “Never said it was my favourite.” “Didn’t have to. You quote it in your sleep.”)

A smile creeps onto Aaron’s face at Alex’s research efforts.

“Go on then, open it,” Alex nudges.

So he does, and is once again, pleasantly surprised to see a pair of tickets to the _Leeds_ _Festival_. His brow furrows in confusion and he looks up at Alex to see him smiling at him with anticipation.

“Amazing! How did you _know_ ?” The excitement (and surprise) bleeds into his voice. He hadn’t mentioned his desire to go this year to _anyone_ , thinking that maybe this could be a bit of a treat to himself after the year he’d had caused him to miss the last one.  

“Well, couldn’t miss the NME mags in the bog, and the black hoodie — dead giveaway” Alex explains his deductive reasoning. “Same again?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Liv’s voice calls out from his left.

“Cheers,” Gerry adds before launching into yet another tale from his life. This time it’s about his hilarious attempts to start a band, occasionally interrupted by Liv’s wisecracks about it, which true to form, continue to elicit Aaron’s amusement.

A few minutes into yet another story, Alex receives a call and has to step away from the bar. Aaron studies him as he does so, noting the shift into doctor mode, which is subtle but clear. With his date currently busy, he turns his attention to the page in front of him, a sense of disbelief ringing through him. The _Leeds Festival._ He can’t believe he’ll _actually be going_ this year. His eye snags on the dates ( _August_ ) and the number of tickets (two) and he feels another wave of surprise — this time at Alex’s confidence that they’ll still be together _eight months_ into the future.

It’s strange, but until now Aaron hadn’t considered the possibility of he and Alex lasting _that_ long. He’d just assumed they’d date until March or April before fizzling out and then he’d move on to someone new. It’s not like he’s really felt much of a connection _beyond_ his initial attraction to the man. Most of their conversations tend to dip into general small talk about either Alex’s job, their families, one of their interests, or whatever they’ve ended up doing on one of their dates. With the exception of his revealing his scars to the man, they haven’t really had a chance to delve into some of the darker aspects of their lives. (Though sometimes he wonders if Alex’s darkness can even match up to what he has swirling inside him on his _best_ days — let alone his worst. Yes, the man’s an openly gay A &E doctor, which must not make work any fun, but sometimes it seems like he just wants to skim past both their edges and focus only on the good. And while that’s fine for _now_ , Aaron sometimes feels like he’s not being fully _seen_ . It’s crazy — especially considering how patient and considerate Alex has been in general — but Aaron just didn’t think he’d paid enough attention to pick up on these things, or that Aaron had even told him this yet. In fact, he hadn’t really even felt the need to — his own dead giveaway to how temporary he’d been considering this, for lack of better word, _relationship_ . And to be fair, it’s not like _Alex_ has ever asked.)

And that’s _another_ thing that prickles his senses somewhat. In all the short time they’ve known each other Alex has yet to display any real observational skills beyond picking up what Aaron’s revealed right in front of him — if anything, it sometimes seems like he likes this _idea_ of Aaron rather than who he really is. (Aaron still doesn’t have the heart to tell him that the _Sharknado_ movies are really not his thing.) Nonetheless, Aaron concedes that these aren’t real character flaws, as much as evidence of Alex’s training as a doctor, and his own reticence to share his interests. Or maybe it’s because of the last few years he’s spent with Robert, where he’s never had to do anything of that sort because the older man had just _known_ . (“It’s called _paying attention_. Might want to try it sometime.”)

“Everything alright?”

He hadn’t noticed Paddy bring over their drinks (two pints, half a cider, and an orange juice for Liv). The older man is now staring at him with something akin to concern on his face. ‘Yeah… Thanks.”

“And Alex, everything’s going fine with him?”

“Uh yeah,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He doesn’t know why, but for some reason, Paddy’s concern is bordering on cloying right now. “We’re spending my birthday together if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Right,” Paddy says as if he’s just remembered being over at the Mill this morning for the birthday breakfast Alex had put together. “Good good. Carry on.”

Aaron shakes his head and takes a sip of his refill while Paddy heads off to serve another customer.

When he looks up again, he sees Robert standing up, downing the last few sips of his pint, placing the glass back down on the bar and tucking his hands into his pockets and making his way towards the washroom.

Aaron doesn’t know why, but he feels compelled to follow.  

(If he notices how this quells the feeling of aching disappointment he’s been experiencing all day, he does not acknowledge it.)

:::::

Robert is using the dryer next to the sink when Aaron finally enters the washroom. As a result, he’s surprised when he turns around to see the younger man standing there.

“Hey,” he says, his face bursting into a smile.

“Hey.” Aaron cringes inwardly at how breathless he sounds.

“Having a good birthday so far?”

Robert’s hands are back in his pockets like he has something valuable in there he doesn’t want to let go of. There’s a look in his eye Aaron hasn’t quite seen before.  

“Oh, so you _did_ remember,” Aaron teases, adding a slight edge to his words.  

“Well, you seemed a bit busy earlier. Didn’t want to interrupt,” Robert explains, his expression turning apologetic. “Didn’t mean to make you think I’d forgotten though… Happy birthday.”

And just like that, something inside Aaron unclenches, leaving him feeling loose and free again. (Or as loose and free as Aaron Dingle tends to feel.)

“Thanks,” Aaron responds, aware that he has indeed gotten what he came here for. Only now he’s not sure what comes next. (Or why he’d needed this so badly.) “And, uh, yeah. It wasn’t too bad. Cake, breakfast, presents. You know. The usual.”

“Get anything good?”

It’s an innocent enough question — the kind friends ask each other all the time. But it still trips Aaron up a little mentally. He doesn’t want to mention Alex’s tickets, because some part of him doesn’t know what to make of them. As much as he loves the gift, there’s a confidence and intimacy there he can’t quite reconcile with where he is emotionally with Alex. Hell, he can’t even call him his _boyfriend_ yet — and that’s _in his_ _own mind_.

“Well, Liv got me a new pair of earphones, and Mum and Paddy pitched in for a new running kit,” Aaron says, recounting the presents he’d opened this morning. “And Gerry made me a mix CD full of running tracks, but I’m pretty sure it’s just _Eye Of the Tiger_ 57 times.”

He feels a wave of warmth pass through him as Robert lets out a hearty laugh at the last one. When the older man finally calms down, he offers, “I guess it’s the thought that counts?”

“Yeah yeah, let’s see how _you_ feel when I play it in the office while you’re trying to do yer paperwork,” Aaron jokes, in an attempt to convey his severity of his predicament. “On second thought, that would probably make _both_ of your days.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I never get sick of any songs,” Robert argues back good-naturedly. “If I had my way, Vic and I would _still_ be listening to that new Carly Rae Jepsen single.”

Aaron groans and shakes his head at the memory. “Don’t remind me. That was worse than that time you got into _25_. There’s only so many times a person can listen to Adele moan on and on.”

“I’m sorry, but you said you _liked_ ‘Hello,’” Robert teases.

“Yeah! The first four or five times,” Aaron states. “By number 39, I was ready for her to say ‘Goodbye!’”

He pauses at that and they grin knowingly at each other. It’s a recurring argument they’ve had on and off over the last two years or so and it’s as familiar as a well-worn jumper. As the awareness of the fact settles over them, the air between them grows thick and pulses with a nervous energy.

But it dissipates when Robert’s phone vibrates.

“It’s Vic,” he says, quickly texting back. “She wants to know when I’ll be ready.”

“You goin’ out somewhere?” Aaron asks. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s a little miffed that they’d made plans on his birthday — even if he and Robert are technically exes and Vic only just started speaking to him again this morning.

“Uh, yeah,” Robert replies, a pinkish tinge appearing in his cheeks. “Got tickets to some AmDram thing tonight. Thought it would cheer her up.”

“Oh,” Aaron says, a little stunned by the answer. In all their years together, he’d never pegged Robert for an amateur acting fan. Must be Vic’s idea, which is weird because Adam never mentioned her penchant for live theater when they were together. “Fun.”

“Yeah, should be,” Robert agrees evenly, before making a face. “Except she wants me to dress up with her.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Aaron asks with a straight face. He knows how much effort Robert Sugden puts into carefully choosing what he wears.

As a response, the older man just holds out his phone for Aaron to study. “Look at some of these outfits.”

On screen is an image of Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The younger man lets out a loud guffaw. “Not going to lie, you _definitely_ have the legs for that.”

Robert scowls and swipes right on the phone screen to reveal Rocky in all his naked-except-for-gold-lame-shorts glory.

“If you ask me, you should definitely do this one,” Aaron jokes sagely. “Add some body glitter, really complete the whole… _package_.”

“Thanks, _mate_ ,” says Robert, rolling his eyes.

“Anytime,” Aaron replies with a grin. “What are friends for?”  

(His recent mood already feels like a distant memory.)

:::::

  
They’re leaving the restroom when Gerry comes barrelling into them, almost knocking over Robert who’d exited first.

“We was wondering where you’d gone off to. Alex has to go to hospital,” he says brightly to Aaron, who’s currently holding Robert’s elbows, bracing him to keep him from falling. And then belatedly, “Oh, hiya Robert.”

“Hey Gerry,” the blonde responds before turning to Aaron who lets go of his arm… “I’m going to head home and get ready. See ya.”

He barely limps two steps away when Gerry exclaims, “Oh wait! Ya dropped somethin’!”

Robert stops and turns around, looking at where he was standing before spotting what it is the teen had noticed.  

It’s the last couple of pieces of a roll of Rolos. He manages to bend and pick it up, wincing as his left hand reaches out.

“Rolos? Nice!” Gerry exclaims when he gets a sight of what’s between Robert’s fingers. “Aaron, aren’t those yer favourite?”

“Uh, yeah,” Aaron replies, not adding that he’d developed a real taste for the caramel candies in the year since his last birthday.

“Well then,” Robert says, a faint smile gracing his lips. It’s clear that he’s reliving that morning too. “Don’t say I didn’t get ya nothin’.”

He lightly tosses the spiral-shaped wrapper over the short distance to Aaron, who catches it with both hands, even though his eyes are on Robert’s face.

Robert flashes him one last smile before he departs.

“Happy birthday Aaron.”

And just like that, that same pervasive feeling of disappointment is back and more intense than ever.

:::::

  
Alex is getting ready to leave when he returns to their table, but he doesn’t actually do so until Aaron spends at least 15 minutes reassuring him that he _really_ isn’t mad that they’ve had to cut their birthday celebrations short and that _yes_ , he will keep him abreast of any tentative plans he might make in terms of going out that evening.

(If anything, Aaron’s actually a bit relieved. It’s only two o’clock and this day already feels too long. A quiet night by himself sounds like heaven — especially given this mood that’s been building inside him all day.)

:::::

  
After half an hour of jovial bonding with Liv and Gerry (and his many,  _many_ colourful observations) Aaron decides they should go ahead and watch the movie together anyway. So they stop by David’s to restock on snacks.

“All set to do the _Time Warp_?” David asks when Aaron deposits a six-pack of beer on the counter while both teens bicker over buying popcorn or crisps behind him.

“What?” Aaron asks, confused.

“You know, _‘It’s a jump to the left…_ ’” Bob Hope chimes in from where he’s standing to the side. His wiggling eyebrows don’t help at all. “ _‘And then a step to the riiight!’_ ”

Off Aaron’s lack of reaction, he grins and explains, “I always thought I’d make a good Riff Raff.”

“Yeah, no idea what you’re goin’ on about,” Aaron explains when Bob’s expectant gaze turns to one of disappointment. He turns back to David, who also looks a little confused.

“ _Rocky Horror Picture Show_.” He answers matter-of-factly. “Isn’t Alex takin’ ya? He sounded dead excited about it yesterday.”

“No,” Aaron says, eyebrows furrowing. “We were supposed to be watching _Rocky Balboa_.”

“The Hotten AmDram are doing _Rocky Balboa_ too?” David seems impressed by this piece of news. “Talk about range.”

Aaron shakes his head. “No, he’s not taking me anywhere. We were supposed to be watching the movie back at my place.”

“ _Oh_ . That makes more sense,” David replies, the little misunderstanding now cleared up. “Didn’t peg you for the dressing up and live show type. Now Robert, _maybe_.”

“Wait. Who told ya I was going to this _Rocky Horror_ thing?” Aaron asks, trying to get clarification on what David’s saying.

“Alex. He showed me the tickets yesterday,” the other man answers, mildly confused by what’s going on.

Aaron is about to respond but Liv and Gerry step up to the counter and lay their picks out alongside his beer. David starts ringing them up.

“Um, thanks.” Aaron replies, reaching for his wallet and paying for their purchases. His mind slowly turning over this new information.

As they exit the shop, he is surprised to find that a _different_ kind of disappointment is beginning to form in the pit of his stomach.

:::::

  
For the first time _ever_ Aaron Dingle is not enjoying his favourite movie. While Liv and Gerry seem to be quite engrossed _despite_ it being their third and second viewings respectively, he just can’t seem to get into the film _at all_.

Instead he’s busy thinking about Alex and _Rocky Horror_ and Leeds and Robert.

When Alex had handed him that envelope and he’d pulled out the sheet of paper he’d felt a sense of relief — that maybe Alex and he weren’t so mismatched after all; that maybe despite the monster movie marathons and the assumption that his teenage sister was him over text (even if she _does_ do a spot on impression of Aaron), Alex did indeed know what he’s like and what he might want.

 _Has Alex even visited the ensuite enough to_ notice _his NME mags?_

The thought pops into his head unbidden and _that’s_ when it clicks.

There’s only _one_ person he’s heard comment on the number of NME magazines piled in the bog — partly because _said complainant_ had been the one who’d bought that subscription as a surprise gift after noticing Aaron always thumbing through it at the village shop and scrolling through articles on his phone, and partly because Aaron really _did_ need to start tossing out old issues.

Similarly, there’s only _one_ person who is well-versed enough with his wardrobe to tell his everyday black hoodie from his special occasions black hoodie, and his “I’m-sick-and-need-something-comforting” black hoodie from his “I’ve-had-this-since-I-was-a-teenager-and-I’m-not-giving-it-up-now” black hoodie (as well as all the ones in between) — and that’s because he’s spent enough time in every single one of them to know which “hoodie” Aaron is referring to when he asks him to bring him one.

And there’s only _one_ person who knows how he’d been dying to go to Leeds, after having put it off last year because of yet another thing in a series of unfortunate events that makes up his life.

With the facts in front of him like this, he can’t believe he didn’t see it before.

_Robert. Jacob. Sugden._

The only thing he doesn’t quite understand is where _Alex_ comes into all this. Was this a case of assistance requested or aid provided? (Though even as he wonders, he knows it’s clearly a case of the latter instead of the former.)

It’s at that moment Gerry interrupts, having paused the film.

“You still got one of ‘em Rolos Robert gave ya? ‘M cravin’ some chocolate.”

That gets Liv’s attention. He can almost hear her neck snap as she turns towards him, a million questions in her eyes — or maybe just the one: _What is Robert Sugden doing giving you Rolos on yer birthday?_

He ignores her, fishing in his pocket for the leftovers he’d been gifted with. Deciding to have one himself, he pulls away the remaining wrapper to discover that it’s _the very last one_.

Of. Fucking. Course.

“Help yerself,” he says, his own craving vanishing. He tosses it at Gerry, who catches it with a big smile, and a cheery, “Ta!”

They resume the movie, now with Liv’s attention split between the screen and her brother. But he ignores both until he can’t keep watching any longer — not that he was anyway.

“I’m going out for a bit,” he announces, getting to his feet. He can see her begin to protest, so he hastily adds, “You keep watching though.”

She must recognise something in his eyes because for once she doesn’t put up too much of a fight. (Or _any_ fight at all.)

He grabs his wallet and keys and leaves the house.

(His dueling senses of disappointment are now joined by a pounding heart.)

  
:::::

  
He runs into Paddy on his way to the village.

“Aaron, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” The older man asks, clearly concerned. “Thought you’d be home with Alex.”

“Can’t I just take a walk if I feel like it?” Aaron snaps. His head is swimming and the last person he wants to think about right now is the man he’s currently seeing.

“Sure, you can. It’s just… It’s yer birthday,” Paddy explains. When Aaron doesn’t look at him or reply, he adds, “And you don’t _look_ alright.”

Aaron sighs. He doesn’t _want_ to share where he’s at mentally and emotionally with _Paddy_ , but without Adam around he doesn’t really have any options beyond _Robert_ who may have achieved newly-minted mate status, but he can’t go to regarding this for obvious reasons. So he decides take a leap.

“Alex didn’t plan today by himself,” he says, giving voice to the first part of his concerns. “Robert helped him.”

“I _knew_ he was up to something when I heard them in the pub,” Paddy says immediately shaking his head, his worst suspicions confirmed. “Never trust Robert Sugden.”

“ _That’s_ not the problem,” Aaron says, voice rife with irritation. “Robert’s the only reason today was halfway decent.”

And then, “Wait. What do you mean you _heard_ them?”

Paddy looks flustered. “Earlier, after lunch, Alex was thanking Robert for his help with your gift. I- I think he might have told him what to get you.”

Something inside Aaron warms at that revelation. It also serves to stoke the overwhelming wave of annoyance washing over him.

“Glad _someone_ around here actually knows me,” he growls, the rest of his emotions proceeding to spill out.  “You know, _you lot_ keep telling me how great Alex is for me. How _perfect_ we are together. If we really are, then how come he doesn’t know a single real thing about me?”

He can see that Paddy is growing increasingly uncomfortable, but he’s on a roll now.  

“For that matter, do any of _you_ ? ‘cause none of ya thought to tell Alex that _maybe_ a big birthday surprise first thing in the morning isn’t something I’d really enjoy? Or maybe that _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ isn’t my thing. No, the only one who bothered to do that was my ex-husband, who my whole family keeps saying they want to _die._ How sad is it that the only person who might _actually_ know me is Robert?”

“He told Alex that,” Paddy mumbles.

“What?” Aaron asks, his momentum interrupted.

“At the pub, earlier. He told Alex that soon _he’ll_ know you better than he does.”   

The information takes some of the wind out of Aaron’s sails.

“That’s not his decision to make.” He argues, before attempting to storm past Paddy. But before he can, the older man grabs his arm.

“Aaron,” he says, invoking his calm veterinarian voice. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

“Like what? Getting back together with _Robert_?”

Paddy lets go of his arm at that. Aaron yanks it away and takes a step back.

“You know what, I’m sick and tired of everyone tellin’ me who I should and shouldn’t be with. It was _my_ decision to move on from Robert. _Mine._ Just like it’s _my_ decision if I get back together with him. Not yours. Not mum’s. And not Liv’s. Just mine and his.”

He finds himself a little out of breath after that rant, his ragged breaths cutting through the night. Into that silence Paddy asks his next question.

“ _Are_ you gonna get back together with him?”

“God. It’s like you’re not listening to a word I said,” Aaron says, shaking his head.

“I _am_.” Paddy argues. “It just sounds like you might be thinkin' about dumping Alex and getting back together with Robert.”

“We’re just _friends_ ,” Aaron retorts.

“That’s not a no.”

“That’s not a _yes_ either.”

And just like that, they reach a detente of sorts.

“I don’t know, okay?” Aaron admits softly, as if to himself. “It’s just… Alex has no idea who I am.”

“You’ll find somebody else who does,” Paddy tries to comfort him.

“I don’t know if I _want_ to.”

Aaron surprises even himself with that one, but he still continues. “Yeah, we're not good for each other. Don’t you think I know that?”

He takes a deep breath. “But sometimes you just want to be with someone who _sees_ you, the _real_ you. Not some _idea_ of you. And Robert, he does that.”

He can see Paddy nod before he says weakly, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, that’s my decision innit?”

Paddy nods again and they stand there in silence for a minute.

“For what it’s worth, and don’t tell your mother I said this, but I think there might be a tiny chance, and I mean _tiny_ , that he really might have changed,” the older man concedes. “The old Robert would never have helped someone else plan your birthday and _not_ taken credit for it.”

Aaron’s head snaps up and he studies Paddy’s face, before agreeing. “He told me we shouldn’t be together after the accident. Said he’s letting me go. That he loves me too much and that I deserve better.”

He sees Paddy’s eyebrows jump up at revelation and nods, agreeing with that kind of impressed surprise.

“Really? I thought he’d milk it. Use it to get back together,” Paddy comments. As annoying as his words are in the moment, Aaron doesn’t hold it against him. He knows that Robert and Paddy haven’t always had the best relationship (attempted murder will do that to you).

“I was ready to,” Aaron confirms, whispering it softly into the night. “When I saw him lying on that bed… When his heart stopped… I knew. I knew I didn’t want us to end like _that_.”

He takes a deep breath. “He’s my _husband_.”

“You mean _first_ husband,” Paddy attempts a joke, but Aaron doesn’t laugh.

“No,” he answers. “I mean _only_ husband.”

As soon as he says it a giant boulder rolls off his chest. He hasn’t called Robert that in months, but he realises that deep down, he still considers him that. He almost laughs at the irony. He’d thought that _Robert_ was the one having a hard time letting go.

“What about his son?” Paddy asks.

“What about him?”

“Aaron, he’s a father now. That changes things,” Paddy explains gently. “His son’s mother is the same ex-girlfriend he cheated on you with _while_ you were in prison. Not to mention, he lied about all of it!”

“I was there Paddy,” Aaron reminds him. While it is painful to hear the whole ordeal recounted, he is pleasantly surprised to discover that it doesn’t sting as bad as it did anymore. “What happened… happened. Would I have preferred if it never did? Of course. But I can’t erase that. He’s trying to be a good dad and _that’s_ what matters right now.”

This seems to convince Paddy, who accepts Aaron’s words easily enough — of course, he doesn’t know about the multiple sessions Aaron had had to spend with the counselor to get to this point of acceptance. (Robert and Jack had hardly been close _before_ his negative reaction to his son’s burgeoning bisexuality, and it’s no secret that Gordon was a monster. Aaron just doesn’t want another young boy to grow up without a good dad — at least not because of _him_.)

After what seems to be a long pause, Paddy finally responds.

“As long as you know what you’re doing,” he begins, a dash of uncertainty in his voice. “You’re 26 now. Can’t keep telling you what to do.”

The nervous smile he gives Aaron — a clear sign that he’s attempting to wave a white flag — does wonders to alleviate the tension that’s been building up in the younger man’s gut over the last hour.

“Thanks Paddy,” he says, meaning every single bit of it.

With Paddy’s nod, he moves to go around him and continue into the village.

“And Aaron?”

He turns to look back at Paddy.

“You deserve to be with someone who knows ya.”

Aaron just nods and smiles.

“I know.”

:::::

  
His phone rings when he gets within a few feet of Keeper’s. He answers it.

“ _Hey there, Birthday Boy_ ,” Alex’s tone is light and flirty. “Just wrapped up with a patient, so I should be over there in… half an hour?”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t bother,” Aaron replies, not really feeling it. “Was just thinking of headin’ off to bed soon. It’s been a long day.”

“But you love _Rocky Balboa_ !” Alex protests. His voice is still light and playful, but there’s a _hint_ of hurt there.

“Yeah, but me, Liv, and Gerry just finished watchin’ it,” Aaron admits.

“Oh.” There’s definite disappointment there. “Then let me buy you a beer. We can have a bit of a birthday nightcap.”

“Nah,” Aaron demures. “Just not really feelin’ it right now… Sorry.”

“No no, it’s okay.”

There’s a pause as neither of them say anything. And then-

“How did you know to book Leeds?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Leeds Festival. How did you know to book that one and not some other music festival?”

“Just seemed like your thing.”

“My thing?”

“Yeah. All the NME mags. The black hoodie. Definite giveaways.”

Another pause. It’s the same words, in the _same_ order.

“So you weren’t going to take me to _Rocky Horror Picture Show_?”

There’s a deep sigh on the other line.

“He promised he wouldn’t tell,” Alex explains, his tone taking on a petulant, childish quality. Aaron doesn’t need to know that they’re talking about Robert now.

“He didn’t. David, from the shop, did.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”   

“Am I in trouble?”

 _Is he_?

“No… You’re not,” Aaron answers truthfully, his annoyance turning into disappointment. “Wish you would have just told me instead.”

“I just really didn’t want to mess up your birthday. I was going to surprise you with it anyway.”

“I know, but you didn’t have to lie,” Aaron points out. “ _That’s_ why Robert and I broke up in the first place. He was always keepin’ stuff from me.”

“I’m sorry… It’s just that you never tell me anything.”

 _I shouldn’t_ have _to tell you everything._

“Sorry, I’ll try and be better about that.”

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you apologise on _your_ birthday. Perfect boyfriend _I_ am.”

Aaron doesn’t respond to that, leaving the words hanging. The term _boyfriend_ still not sitting right with him.

A few seconds later Alex asks a little hopefully, “You sure you don’t want me to come over later? I can make it up to you.”

“No,” Aaron replies. “I really am tired. Had a big day today.”

He chuckles weakly at the end of that in an effort to lift the mood and not make it seem like a _total_ rejection (which it kind of is).

“Alright.”

Normally, Aaron would do his best to mollify the doctor, but right now he’s just not in the mood for it. So he just ends the conversation.

“Night.”

“Night.”

He puts his phone back in his pocket and restarts his journey to Keeper’s.

(The twin coils of disappointment have since disappeared. All that’s left is a newly-cleared head and a rapidly-pounding heart.)

:::::

  
It’s another half an hour before he sees a pair of headlights make its way to the cottage. He stands up from where he’s been sitting on the ground ready to greet the returning siblings.

Neither Robert nor Victoria notices him, each engrossed in conversation as they step out of the car and make their way over.

“I’m just sayin’ it would have been a lot more fun if we’d gotten all dressed up,” Vic teases. “ _Your_ legs are just as nice as Tim Curry’s. _I’d_ even say they’re better!”

Robert snorts. “Thanks Vic. Just what _every_ bloke wants to hear.”

They turn into the garden path-

“That’s what I told him earlier,” Aaron says, startling both of them. “Except the part about Tim Curry.”

“Aaron!” Robert exclaims, missing his joke entirely. “Is everything alright? Where’s Alex?!”

“Everything’s _fine_ ,” he insists, his eyes firmly on Robert’s face. “Was just taking a walk and decided to stop by and say hi.”

“Uh, hi…” Robert’s brows knit together in confusion reminding Aaron of how much he still enjoys seeing that expression on his face.

They stand there in silence for a moment until Vic pipes up. “Why don’t I go put the kettle on? Aaron, happy birthday. Rob, I’ll see ya inside.”

She walks past both of them to open the front door.

That jolts Robert into action. “You’re welcome to come inside if you want.”

“No, I’m good out here,” Aaron insists. He really is. The cold air is serving as some kind of grounding agent.

As Robert nods, his face is suddenly illuminated with a warm yellow light, indicating that Vic’s left the door open.

They continue standing in silence for another minute, and then-

“If you want, we can go elsewhere-”

“How was the show?”

They both crack small smiles at their talking over each other.

“We can stay here,” Aaron says. To which Robert answers, “Thought it was okay. Vic enjoyed it though.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah.”

More companionable silence.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Robert asks again, this time in a much softer tone of voice. “You seem a bit _distracted_ today.”

Aaron wants to _laugh_ . Robert Sugden hasn’t even spent the whole bloody day with him and he _still_ senses that something might be wrong.

“Everything’s _fine_ ,” Aaron reiterates. “I just wanted to say thanks.”

In response to Robert’s confused expression, Aaron continues, “You know, for all your help with Adam the last couple of days. With the alibi and all.”

“Of course,” the older man answers, as he didn’t willingly implicate himself in their crimes as well. “You’d do the same for me.”

Before he’s tempted to fall into yet another one of their comfortable silences, Aaron forces himself to blurt out.

“And thanks for tipping Alex off about Leeds… And the movie.”

“He told you about that?” Robert asks, clearly surprised.

“Didn’t have to,” Aaron responds. “Had your fingerprints all over it.”

He chuckles at the gobsmacked expression on Robert’s face at that.

“ _You’re_ not the only one who can put clues together you know,” He explains, before continuing. “And you do realise that _you’re_ the only one who’s always been on at me about the mags and the hoodies. Right?”

Robert cracks a smile at that. “Well, excuse _me_ for trying to stop you from becoming a hoarder.”

They both grin at that — only Robert’s fades first.

“Does Alex know you know?”

“Yeah. I asked him about it.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“You know, it’s not his fault,” Robert says, surprising Aaron. “He just wanted to make today special.”

“Maybe then he should have actually tried to get to know me then,” Aaron retorts.

Robert snorts. “Come on. It’s not like _you_ make it easy. You’re not exactly ‘Mr. Conversation.’”

“What do you call _this_ then?” He’s half joking, half not.

“An excuse.”

“What do you mean _an excuse_?”

“Aaron, you’re hardly giving him a chance,” Robert argues. “Do you know how long it took me before I felt like _I_ knew you? Months.”

Aaron wants to tell him that he’s _wrong_ ; that he’s known who Aaron is from pretty much Day One. Why else would he have bothered to retrieve Chrissie’s ring for him?

He’s interrupted by Robert’s continuing to make a case for the man _he’s currently seeing_ . (A man that’s not _him_ , Aaron notes. It’s odd, but he feels a sense of pride at this show of growth from his ex-husband.)

“I told you I’d be the best friend you’ll ever have,” the older man says, breaking their unspoken rule not to talk about what transpired in that hospital room on Christmas Day. Aaron doesn’t need to look at Robert’s face to know that it’s paining him to do so. It’s paining _Aaron_ just to listen to him. “Well, this is me being that friend. Adam would have told you the same thing: Alex… He’s good for you.”

“ _No_ , Adam would have told me to be with someone who makes me happy.”

Robert swallows at that.

“And Alex doesn’t?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone who does.”

_Or maybe I already have._

“Yeah. Maybe.”

He doesn’t need Robert to say anything to know that _he_ knows what Aaron’s thinking — because he’s _always_ known what Aaron’s thinking. He’s about to suggest that they maybe try again, or that he’s happy to wait for Robert to be ready when there’s some shuffling behind him, and-

“Sorry to interrupt,” Vic says, stepping out the house in a robe and with two mugs of tea in her hands. “Wasn’t sure how long it would take, and I didn’t want your tea to get cold.”

She hands Robert his mug (the blue _Doctor Who_ TARDIS one, because no matter how much the older man pretends, he’s still a verifiable _nerd_ ) and is about to pass Aaron the other one ( (a maroon number with a chipped handle that he’s touched she remembered he likes) when he declines.

“Should probably head home,” he explains to both Sugdens. “Liv and Gerry will be wondering’ where I am.”

He says this more to Robert than Vic. But she just brushes it off with a _slightly_ awkward, “Oh alright… Have a great rest of your birthday… again.”

She leaves before he can answer, which he appreciates because there’s something _different_ about Robert that he can’t quite seem to identify, and he feels it like an itch under his skin. He almost doesn’t want to leave because of it.

However, he _does_ manage to say, “Thanks.”

He nods at the mug in Robert’s hand and says, “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” he whispers back.

With one last smile Aaron moves to walk past Robert, brushing past him. It makes a shiver go up his arm — one unrelated to the chill in the air.

At the gate he finds himself turning around, which reveals Robert looking back at _him_ , both hands clasping the handle on either side of the door.

“Robert,” he says, even though doesn’t need to. “Thanks.”

“Hey,” his ex-husband replies. “What are friends for?”

With one last exchange of smiles, Robert steps into the cottage and shuts the door behind him.

Aaron steps past the gateway, but then turns around again and studies the whole cottage while turning his main focus toward the itch he’s still trying to scratch.

It doesn’t quite hit him until a light goes off on the top floor.

_He’s taken off his wedding band._

But instead of yet another dose of disappointment — because he’s come to recognise _and_ acknowledge the emotion he’s been experiencing at various levels throughout the day — he feels the burst of anticipation that comes with big realisations. As well as a flutter of something _else_.  

He’s going to put that ring back on Robert’s finger. He just has to figure out _how_.

  
:::::

  
He has that dream again. The one where it’s exactly a year later and they’re both in Vegas, stood in front of a cheesy Elvis impersonator in a dimly lit chapel.

Only, as he has to remind himself yet again, this _isn’t_ yet another one of his dreams. It’s his reality.

Beside them, a speaker crackles with static noise as the DJ-technician in charge of the wedding march music tinkers about. Both men wince.

“Can you believe we almost did _this_?” Aaron murmurs incredulously into Robert’s ear, giving him a gentle nudge with his hips, his hands in his formal hoodie pockets.

“I dunno. Looks a lot like our first wedding,” Robert teases.

Aaron snorts, remembering the garish Christmas decorations strewn around the bar, and the annoyance with which both Robert _and_ Liv had regarded them.

“Then it’s a good thing we got it right the _second_ time,” he points out, referring to their more rustic-themed, summer nuptials just six months ago when they’d both walked down the aisle of the same barn Robert had first tried to propose in — Robert in a rich burgundy combination, while he’d worn a dark, navy blue number that Robert had had _tailored_ for him despite Aaron’s protests.

It’s _Robert’s_ turn to hip-nudge him. “I think you’ll find that _that_ was down to me. No offense, but you’re rubbish at planning weddings.”

Aaron turns to face him now. Standing close, his gaze locked into Robert’s. “Yeah, but if _you’ll_ remember, I’m _excellent_ at planning proposals.”

 _That_ elicits a smile from Robert before he covers it up with a straight face, and a challenging, “You called me up, told me your car broke down in a lay-by and that you needed me to bring you the tools because you didn’t have them. Of course, I was surprised!”

“Got _you_ to say ‘Yes’ didn’t I?” Aaron asks, smirking lazily as he deploys his sexiest voice, knowing Robert loves it when it goes low and ever-so-slightly gravelly. His eyes remain focused on Robert’s lips.

Robert notices, licking them before continuing, “At least _I_ made an effort to decorate the barn and organise a whole picnic. You just drove away from the village.  _I_ had a whole speech prepared.  _You_ just told me to ‘Pass you a spanner.’”

“Said a _lot_ more than that after though,” Aaron teases again. To his immense pleasure (and thanks to a quick flick of his eyes to Robert’s own, which he finds are trained on _his_ lips) he sees the older man’s freckled cheeks turn a sexy shade of light pink.

“You guys ready to leave or what?”

Liv’s voices causes the moment to fizzle — but only _ever so slightly_.

“Remind me why we brought your teenage sister on our honeymoon?” Robert asks, muttering the question into Aaron’s ear in  _his_ low voice, sending chills up his husband's neck. Aaron  _loves_ the way Robert’s breath feels against his ear.

“Because _you’re_ a softie who didn’t want us to be apart on our _third_ birthday together?” Aaron answers. “Besides, with the twins due in the next couple of months it’s not like we’ll have much time with her before she leaves for uni.”

“And when is that again?”

Aaron just smiles at the mock irritation in Robert’s voice, knowing full well it’s a front. Despite some initial misgivings after their reunion, he and Liv have become extremely close since shortly after their second engagement, when she’d come out as asexual and he’d been nothing but supportive (“Why are you bein’ so nice to me?” “Because it isn’t easy figurin’ yourself out. _I_ should know — took me _15_ years to accept that I was bisexual.”). Eight months later and she and Robert were regular study-buddies as she prepped first for her GCSEs and more recently, for her A Levels.

“ _Come on._ We’re gonna be late for dinner.”

“Alright, alright, we’re coming!” Robert finally responds, tearing his eyes away from Aaron. “Looks like we better get a move on or we’ll miss our reservation.”

He moves past Aaron, brushing past him as he does. It gives the younger man a chance to grab his arm.

“Hey,” he says playfully.

Robert just looks at him, brows furrowed in amusement.

Aaron leans forward and kisses him, Robert reacting as eagerly as he always does. (If there’s one thing Aaron has discovered it’s that married life has _not_ dampened Robert Sugden’s sex drive.)

Pulling away a moment later, he whispers, “Love you Mr. Dingle.”

He can feel his own cheeks warm up as they turn red. He’s then rewarded with one of Robert’s softest smiles — the one he loves best, the one that warms him from the inside out and turns his insides into butterflies.

“Love _you_ Mr. Sugden.”

As they leave, the chapel’s speakers finally clear up, flaring to life for two lines of music before fizzing out again.

**_But if you try you find…_ **

**_You get what you need._ **

_Fin._

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this fic was written two weekends ago before Paddy spoke to Aaron about Robert and we found out that Aaron had known that his new best friend was the one responsible for his tickets all along. It's just I took forever to actually put this up. I am working on a tie-in fic focusing on just the lay-by proposal because I can't stop headcanoning it at this point. If anyone's interested in that, please let me know. 
> 
> But in general, I hope it matches up with the characters' voices and feels like something that could have happened in the show. (Though technically lots of it did!) 
> 
> Major thanks to iwantyoualways over on Tumblr for reading this whole thing and offering feedback. If you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns, drop them below. (Or you can always find me on Tumblr under rustandruin.)


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